Medieval festival cancelled over £2,500 shortfall

Three hundred people took part in the event in 2023, organisers said

An annual medieval festival has been cancelled due to lack of funding, its organiser says.

The Battle of Shrewsbury event had taken place annually in July with more than 300 people involved.

The historical battle reenactment was a free event and usually relied on donations and stalls to reach its target, organiser Matthew Howarth said.

It will no longer go ahead this summer due to a £2,500 shortfall while a fundraising page has been set up towards bringing the event back in 2025.

The increase of costs for key parts of the event such as facilities were blamed by organisers for this year's cancellation.

The festival was due to take place on 27-28 July, with funding expected to come in from sponsors, donations and businesses hiring stalls during the weekend.

"We are starting to work on next year to see if we can gain as much support as possible to help keep it a free entry event," Mr Howarth said.

"A lot of the increases have developed as the event has grown with more people visiting meaning more facilities needed and the cost of insurance for the event."

A crowdfunding campaign was launched to try and bring the event back in 2025

He said he began organising the festival in 2019 to educate people about the battle.

The clash happened at a site in the north of the Shropshire town in 1403, when Henry IV fought a rebel army from Northumberland led by Sir Henry Percy.

Last year's event was the festival's largest reenactment for the battle's 620th anniversary, with 300 people taking part.

A crowdfunding campaign for next year's event had raised £665 by Thursday.

"I wanted to bring the festival alive as nobody covered the Battle of Shrewsbury as an event and it is a key part of history not only for Britain," Mr Howarth added.

"Some historians even say that the Battle of Shrewsbury could be seen as one of the catalysts for the War of the Roses."